The Goblin King
by LSHammond
Summary: The Labyrinth but not as you know it- seen through Jareth's eyes.
1. Chapter 1 Beginnings

Chapter 1. Beginnings

It all began when The Goblin King noticed the young girl. He was, as was often his wont, gazing into the world above, whiling away a little time playing tricks on unsuspecting mortals from above ground. It amused him. It was a time honoured tradition among the kings and queens of old and well respected. Minor mischiefs they left to the small goblins, dwarfs and hob goblins, lost keys and mismatched socks. The Goblin King on the other hand had always favoured mischief of another kind, the kind that left countries ablaze and kingdoms torn asunder. But also mischief of the heart, making the children of enemies fall in love, watching as their worlds came crashing down around them. When he saw Sarah- It was the first time anyone had made him stop in his tracks. It was her face, her small pale face with deeply innocent and curious grey-green eyes that you could drown in.

He'd seen her sweet face and soulful eyes and sunk into a mood that he couldn't be roused from. The King had stormed about the castle for weeks, gazing longingly into his crystals catching glimpses of her and her ordinary life. Nothing could draw him out of his moody, languishing habit. He was hooked and nothing that usually distracted him was working- he sent away the dancers, the jesters, the fools and the lovers. He all but abandoned his kingdom and it began to run amok. He sat in the dark yearning and watching. He began to learn about life, her Father, her Step-Mother and more importantly her younger brother. Slowly he began to insert himself into her conscience, a book here, a model there, anything to feel like he was

One day a goblin was serving him as he was watching her play with her little brother; Toby. The child was sweet and small with cherubic cheeks and blonde hair, the goblin had taken one look and said "want that one! Small and sweet, make good goblin" he had chuckled to himself and left, all the while muttering, "good goblin, new little goblin he he" An idea had begun to simmer in the King's mind. It was true goblins had long been taking little boys from their beds at the misguided wishes of their parents- but how to make Sarah give up the child?

So began the King's great scheme. In his mind stealing the child became intrinsically linked to keeping the girl. He used his powers of manipulation over the mortals, made her Step-Mother cruel, her Father uncaring, the child needed no help to be stubborn and spoilt, Sarah he left unaltered. He did not want her spoilt, and made it well known far and wide that anyone caught messing with her mind would have to answer to the Goblin King. No one crossed him, his reputation as a fierce and often cruel leader was well known and well founded.

The King watched as Sarah drew closer to him every day, pushed away by her family. She took to walking the parks and forests near her home, reading and re reading The Labyrinth- it had quickly become her favourite book and she had all but memorised it. Often when she was walking in the forests, the King was by her side, she didn't know it but the wild places on earth are where the lines blur most between the above and the underground.


	2. Chapter 2 Wild Places

Chapter 2. Wild Places

When the day finally arrived that Jareth had been waiting for, Sarah was walking in the park, her imagination running wild in the beautiful surroundings, the forest on one side, wild and dark against the peaceful, quieter beauty of the park with its trimmed hedges and white marble arches. It was the perfect setting for her to learn the final section of the Labyrinth, she spoke the lines aloud as she ran around the corner, white dress flowing behind her. She imagined him in front of her, The Goblin King dark and mysterious, handsome and terrifying.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered", she began "I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the goblin city, to take back the child that you have stolen." Pausing to take a breath she relished the lines, losing herself in the world she had never seen but knew better than her own. "For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great"… she fumbled her mind drawing a blank, "Damn, I always forget that line. "For my will is as strong as yours…" Sarah moaned frustrated with herself, and yanked a small book out of her pocket- it was battered and well worn, on the faded red cover in black were the words, The Labyrinth. She flicked to the back, her eyes widening as they alighted on the right section. They flicked up, "You have no power over me."

The Goblin King had been watching her from the tree line, lounging along the branches of a great oak, enjoying the way she ran in the dress, how she held herself, high and proud-just like him. He wondered how long it would be, but had a sense it was soon, it was foreboding mixed in with electric excitement and anticipation. What was about to happen would change everything he knew. A human had never beaten the Labyrinth it just drew them into its black holes and forgot about them. He could hear her muttering the words from the book and smiled to himself knowing that the more she became obsessed the with Labyrinth, with its twists and turns and its magic, the more she would be drawn to him, until it was too late and she could never truly return to the world above.

She was still speaking though he couldn't make out the words, then the world went quiet and he heard her, clear and resonant, "for my will is as strong as yours…" his heart froze, realising his mistake. She knew the words, in giving her the book to bring her to him, had he given her the very keys to his undoing? "You have no power over me" the words rang out across the glades and the King felt a stab at his heart, the storm about him rose, so suddenly he was barely aware it was happening. Thunder rolled in the sky and lightening came crashing down around him. He crashed through the branches, barely landing on his feet and then sank on to the floor- eyes still on Sarah as she stood for a moment in the pouring rain, she had no idea what she had just said, the effect those few words had on him, and he hoped she would never say them again he didn't think he would survive it. Sarah was almost frozen in time, before hearing the bell toll the hour, her eyes widened and she snapped out of her reverie "Oh no, I don't believe it, its seven o clock, come on Merlin!" She gestured to her large fluffy sheep dog and they ran away together. Leaving the Goblin King behind.

"Jareth" someone was murmuring, "Jareth" It was that which roused him – no one would dare use his name to his face. He shot up abruptly- a few of his advisors stood warily around him, their ugly goblin faces wary and concerned. He had been behaving erratically lately even more so than usual and it was toying with the kingdom, not that he cared much about them right now, he had served for his entire life- it was all he knew but now he wanted something and he was damned if he wasn't going to get it. "What is this?" He yelled scorn etched upon his face, enjoyed the shock on their faces. Their heads bowed, "Apologies my Lord", Jareth snatched himself up off the ground, "I don't want your apologies," his voice dangerously low "I want you out of my sight- now" and with that, they vanished. The Goblin King himself didn't pause for long, only stared for a moment into rain before he was gone- in his place only a large barn owl it enormous sharp eyes thoughtfully watching the clouds of the storm follow the distant shape of a young girl, running home in the rain. Tonight was the night.


	3. Chapter 3 I wish

Chapter 3. I wish

Sarah got home soaked to the bone, with a growing dread she approached the front door, for weeks now her family were getting harder and harder for her to handle. Harsher words were spoken and the times at which she was happy were getting fewer and further between. Her worst fears were realised when she saw her Step- Mother at the door, holding down the boundaries she thought bitterly to make sure nothing unwelcome got in. Anger pulsed through her as she stomped up the stairs. "Sarah, You're an hour late" her Step Mother began, "I know, I'm sorry" Sarah butted in "come on Merlin" she made an attempt to get past her up the stairs but found her way blocked by the small perfectly quaffed woman, "not the dog!"

"But it's pouring?!" Sarah retorted in shock, her step mother ignored her,

"Go on, into the garage." Merlin ignored her but looked up at Sarah checking to see what she wanted him to do. Bursting with rage Sarah nearly yelled at him; "go on Merlin, into the garage, go!" before storming past her step mother into the house.

Jareth watched her from one of his crystals he was at his castle now- a rambling ancient building so twisted that even he didn't know all of its secrets. He was in his throne room, currently filled with swarms of goblins, drinking, laughing and generally being goblins. A small smile played onto his lips, this was it, it would happen tonight he could feel it, it was part of the reason he had opened his doors again after so many weeks of keeping to himself. As he sat on the throne one leg casually hanging over the golden arm he could barely hold himself still, his blood was up and there was magic in the air. The storm was still howling around Sarah's small perfectly suburban house and in the underground the atmosphere was mirrored, the air charged with electric nerves. The castle and the Labyrinth knew what was about to happen, it was as if it had been preparing for this moment. All she had to do was say those little words and the boy would be his, then she would be lost in his labyrinth and he could have her, forever.

With the goblins amassed and all hovering expectantly in and around the castle, waiting, Jareth in a fit of unlikely exuberance had expanded a crystal so it rose shimmering above them- Sarah's face at the centre, the picture a little misty but her voice rang through as she cried and yelled at her parents before storming down the stairs to where the child was crying. A knot of anticipation and greed arose in Jareth's stomach as he listened intently while she began to tell a story, "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl whose Step-Mother always made her stay home with the baby. The baby was a spoiled child he wanted everything for himself, and the young girl was practically his slave. But what no one knew was the Goblin King fell in love with her and gave her certain powers. So one night when baby had been particularly cruel to her, she asked the goblins for help. 'Say you're right words' the goblins said 'and we'll take the baby away to the goblin city and you will be free' But the girl knew the King of the goblins would keep the baby in his castle forever and ever so she suffered in silence, until one night when she was tired from doing housework and hurt by the harsh words of her step mother and she could no longer stand it…" The child screamed even louder and Jareth's heart stopped it was the story of The Labyrinth, a tale always told but never realised, it was happening the girl was writing herself into his story.

The child screamed and the winds howled, Jareth was on the edge of his throne, poised for the words that were on the tip of her tongue, "I can bare it no longer- Goblin King Goblin King, wherever you may be, come take this child of mine far away from me" Frustrated Jareth threw away the crystal, no, she knew better than that, she had read the book the words were there in her mind all she had to do was wish…

Back in the bedroom Sarah, frustrated and angry with Toby, practically flung him down into his cot before storming out of the room. As she went to turn out the light she muttered- "I wish the goblins would come and take you away- right now." Then the lights blew out, the lightening crashed and the wind buffered at the house- she ran back into the room, knowing in her heart that she had said the wrong words, done something terrible.


	4. Chapter 4 Gone

Chapter 4. Gone

Jareth and the goblin ranks were suddenly there- summoned by the words as they always were, but this time it was different. Jareth was triumphant, now he would be revealed to her and she would be frightened, nervous, awed by him, this was how it should be. His carefully laid out plan was coming to ahead. The goblins entered slyly, now they had been invited in it was all they could do not to gleefully tear the place apart, they were destructive little things in their souls. He watched her, scared, unsure. She was shaking now, whipping backwards and forwards, hearing the goblins but never seeing them. The wind crashed against the house making the building shake, Jareth added just a little pressure and the doors shuddered violently before bursting open, revealing Sarah, standing in front of him, so small and yet so defiant. In her eyes he saw his own strength reflected back at him. Their first meeting face to face, Jareth was beside himself but held it together, drawing her to him as a bright light draws the unsuspecting moth. "You're him aren't you? The Goblin King, I want my brother back if it's all the same" Her eyes pleaded to him, he was impressed she managed to ask so forthright and knew he had chosen well but she was over estimating his humanity, "What's said is said" his silken voice echoing in the now silent room, "I didn't mean it" she stuttered making him laugh softly

"Oh you didn't?

"Please where is he?" Jareth sized her up, taking in her mundane clothing and the tears in her eyes, her lightly blushing cheeks that brightened when he looked at her, even though her brother was gone- she was not immune to his charms.

"You know very well where he is" she looked panicked, but she pleaded anyway- knowing the answer, "Please bring him back, please."

"Sarah" Jareth interrupted, he stepped closer till they were barely a breath apart, catching her off guard with his glowing eyes that bore into her soul, "Go back to your room, play with your toys, forget about the baby"

"I can't"

"I've brought you a gift" for a moment he saw her eyes grow wide as in his hands he produced one of his crystals from thin air, mortals were so easily distracted, "What is it?"

"It's a crystal, nothing more, but if you turn it this way and look into it it'll show you your dreams. But this isn't a gift for an ordinary girl who takes care of a screaming baby. Do you want it? Then forget the baby" He urged her to take it, she didn't know of course that by taking the crystal she would be his, bound by the magic of the Labyrinth, if you take an object from the underworld it will never let you settle in the mortal world. She would be trapped, always yearning for this other world she didn't know, and couldn't resist. Then he would come to her again and this time she would accept. "I can't. I appreciate what you're offering, but I want my brother back. He must be so scared." Anger flashed across the Goblin King's pale face, his haughty good looks made terrifying, how dare she?, "Sarah...don't defy me"

The crystal, reflective of his anger flashed again and this time in its place was a Taipan snake, black and sleek and incredibly venomous, he tossed it at her and she shrieked, but a millisecond before it touched her his magic flashed again and it warped into a shroud of cloth, which when it fell to the floor wriggled, and out of it popped a mischievous goblin who cackled loudly at Sarah before running off. Sarah looked back at him, shocked eyes wide with fear, as the lightning flashed behind Jareth he whispered into her ear, "You're no match for me Sarah." She stood before him and he truly believed if only for the smallest of moments that she would accept. Then, "I need my brother back." Fine, she had signed the deal with the devil- it was the Labyrinth now.

Suddenly they were transported from Sarah's house to the outskirts of the Labyrinth. It stretched out gloriously before them looking pale and endless but still a part of the land, as if it had risen from the very desert below. It swirled endlessly around the castle which towered at its centre, dark and mysterious seemingly miles away in the distance. It was a daunting sight, the storm has followed them underground and the sky was black with clouds. The wind kicked the dust up around them as they stood on the precipice, the Labyrinth below them. He watched Sarah as she stared open mouthed at the challenge before her, she was in his world now the crippled trees and dry weeds around her made her seem totally out of place in her blue jeans and white blouse. Down here- she was the mystical creature, it was all Jareth could do not to whisk her away to his castle there and then but there was a story to be told, things had to be done a certain way and she was held by the Labyrinth now.

"He's there, in my castle. Do you still want to look for him?" it was a rhetorical question, she had no choice now but to enter the Labyrinth and Jareth couldn't interfer. Those were the rules, she would make it, he mused, she was strong. "Is that the castle beyond the goblin city?" she asked ignoring his question,

"Turn back Sarah, Turn back before it's too late" there was real pleading in his voice now, come with me he thought. She looked back at him almost mournfully, his soul leapt at that look. "I can't, Don't you understand that I can't?" I do he thought but all he said was,

"What a pity."

"It doesn't look that far," Foolish child, such casual comments had a way of coming back to you in the Labyrinth.

"It's further than you think, and time is short" weaving his magic was far easier in the underworld, Jareth's hands twirled and a majestic clock appeared on one of the emaciated limbs of the dead tree. It was large and ornate in the shape of a diamond with black hands that had already begun to tick down Sarah's 13 hours. "You have 13 hours in which to solve the Labyrinth before your baby brother becomes one of us, forever. Such a pity." Jareth stared into her eyes as he faded away into mist. Memorizing her face, her hair, her eyes, knowing that what had just begun would alter them forever.


	5. Chapter 5 Descent

Jareth reappeared in a spectacular storm of lightning and thunder atop the castle's tallest tower, it crumbled and shook slightly beneath him but held its own as he stared out across the land. From his perch he could see the corner of the Labyrinth he had left her in, though his face remained a cool mask, panic surged up in his throat- what was he doing? Letting a human girl into the Labyrinth, unarmed and alone. Although he had never cared before when his goblins has occasionally led a human astray and left them to wander the Labyrinth till they went mad. The goblin city spread out before him, a lazy sprawl of mismatch sandstone buildings and cracked statues that no longer resembled more than lumps of rock. The sounds of the city floated up to him, yelling and raucous laughter, scuffles in the dry dirt. The rains hadn't come to his city in a long time.

Suddenly the blare of a horn rang out bringing everything to a frozen standstill, Jareth whipped around to find the source- the North tower- the war horn. In a flash he was gone, one minute standing atop the tower, the next standing in his battle gear, all black leather and spikes, a long sword hanging low on his belt and a fierce look in his eyes, he stood in a large courtyard full of panicking goblins. "Stop running around losing your heads" he called out just loud enough for them to hear, "call out the guards and move to the western border!" They froze for a moment, taking in his orders- intelligence was not their forte. Before hustling towards the castle, the air taking on the fizz it only got before a battle. Jareth's eyes gleamed, what could distract him from Sarah better that a fight?

Jareth arrived at the western border along with a hoard of battle ready goblins seething with fury and brandishing an array of eclectic weaponry and grotty armour raring for the chance to attack, yet it all seemed quiet. Jareth at the tip of the army looked out of place, his sleek next to the goblins shabby, but he stood tall enveloped in his kingly stature knowing full well that nothing could threaten him in hand to hand combat or in magic. The western side was mostly forest, too easy to hide enemies in its dark shadows, Jareth scanned the landscape he couldn't see them but he could smell them, elves he thought to himself, flouncy and fair but not an ounce of intelligence in them and wicked to the core. How dare they attack his labyrinth?

Gesturing at the goblins to stay behind he moved forward as only he could, with no sound, completely in the shadows so he was practically invisible. Slowly he pulled his sword from its sheath, the glistening blade could give him away but he wanted it out where they could see it, and him in his full glory- leather and armour every inch the ferocious Goblin King. This was who he was- ruthless, cruel and full of malice. An image floated to the top of his mind- a pair of soft grey eyes. But he forced it away. That was not who he was. Jareth froze, sighting just off in the distance- an elf, the elf was slightly built, carrying a bow and quiver full of arrows. Elves were small- no bigger than goblins really, but they were vicious, this one's fangs gleamed with blood- evidence of a recent meal. It was breathing heavily and was dancing from foot to foot clearly nervous. Jareth maneuvered around the creature before sliding out to stand right in front of it, a sly smile on his wickedly good looking face. "Well, well, what have we here?"

The Elf span around immediately and took off in the opposite direction, only to slam into an invisible wall that threw him backwards landing at Jareth's feet. He laughed maliciously, and smiled down to it, "What brings you pathetic little things to my Labyrinth?" The elf looked up, quivering in fear, but his hand was drifting slowly to a knife that was hanging low on his belt. Lazily Jareth open his fist and the knife appeared in his hand, he chuckled, then threw it into the air and with a great swipe of his sword smashed it into a thousand pieces. "You are wasting my time, tell me, why have you come into my Labyrinth?" The elf struggled, flailing around but it was useless, Jareth had him trapped. It was breathing heavily now it's tiny chest rapidly rising and falling in fear.

All Jareth had to do was very slowly reveal a crystal in his empty hand- the entire underground knew the power of his crystals. "The girl, the girl in the Labyrinth" it squealed wrenching itself as far away from the crystal and Jareth's menacing eyes as it could. Jareth's heart froze, his blood turned to ice, how did they know?, "What girl?" he tried for nonchalant but only succeeded in sounding incredibly angry. The elf looked up, surprise etched across it tiny face, then it sneered maliciously "your girl." Jareth saw red, he didn't think only moved and the elf's head rolled to the floor. Jareth gazed at his sword now glistening with the blue blood of the fey. So they knew, and they were looking for her, he had to get back, right now, barking orders at the goblins who had followed him cautiously into the wood to kill any elf in his lands on sight, he morphed himself into a barn owl and made his way back to the castle.


	6. Chapter 6 Dance

Chapter Six. Dance

Jareth's need to see her in the flesh went beyond anything he had ever felt before. He couldn't stop himself, he flew across the Labyrinth in his owl form, dancing on the wind, his alert eyes peeled for a glimpse of the raven haired girl. Jareth circled the outskirts of the Labyrinth first- the first hurdle of the never ending maze but try as he might he just couldn't see her. Desperately he strained his eyes, feeling the panic welling up in his chest, a sensation that was completely new to him. In his head he knew that the elves were contained to the other side of his Kingdom, many leagues away but his heart couldn't believe what his head tried to tell him. Surely she couldn't have gotten inside the second ring already? He asked himself, many greater men and women had fallen at the first hurdle, wandering the endless path that led nowhere and ended nowhere, stumbling till they fell as skeletal beings beyond any form of recognition. Unless... she had help, help he himself had forbidden every subject in his kingdom to give. Who was this girl to not only flout his rule so easily but also convince other to do so also and face his wrath? At this point Jareth felt willing to believe anything and he quickly changed his path, passing through the invisible barriers that split the two sections, like the walls between the worlds, but thinner, less absolute, they were walls within walls within walls.

It was there that he spotted her, a small dot on the blank scape of the Labyrinth's stone quarter. A small part of his brain was thinking about the impossibility of her progressing so far in such a short time- a larger part seemed to be caught up in relief, his lungs took in the first breath he felt like he had inhaled since the elf had spoken of her- Sarah was safe. The emotion swelled through his body like a tide. He barely caught himself in the air before plummeting down to earth, landing heavily in his human form just around the corner from where she was standing. Jareth could hear the soft tones of her voice and using an orb, pushed it through the wall to make a window through to the other side. He could see her now, though she still couldn't see him. She looked lost and afraid but there was a height to the way she stood that he hadn't seen before. She seemed taller, older, more aware of this new world around her. It changed people, the Labyrinth, although not always for the better. In the distance the castle stood. It looked deceptively close from here, another trick of the windows between the worlds. Jareth reached out towards its looming silhouette, drawing on his powers and pulled the sounds from the castle down to them so ever so faintly, Sarah could hear the sounds of a baby crying. "I'm coming Toby." She spoke aloud to herself but Jareth heard the determination in her voice. Good, he thought without meaning to, the sooner she gets into the inner circles of the Labyrinth the better. In a second thought he explained to himself that it was so he could get her in his control faster. However his first and most immediate thought, which he tried desperately to push away- was for her safety. With that mulling in his mind he morphed once more into a beautiful barn owl, stretched out his wings and took off into the sky.

Landing swiftly through the window straight into his throne room Jareth walked through the hoards of goblins who bowed down to him as he went before them. Returning to whatever revelry they had been involved in immediately after he had passed. Jareth slumped down onto his throne, the noise of the room was a cacophony of yelling and crying. He put his head in his hands trying to think for a moment, clear the fog that seemed so intent on clouding his thoughts with images of Sarah. Jareth kept glancing up at the clock every few seconds, impatiently working out how long she had left. His head was full of her face and her eyes. Impatiently his foot tapped the side of his throne as he tried to act calmly when his insides were churning with anticipation, excitement and dread all at the same time. The baby was standing in the middle of the room, he could hear it screaming. Unusually this was bothering him, because it was her brother? He wondered, usually no one came for the babies and then they turned into goblins before he really had anything to do with them. The goblins took care of the whole baby stealing business. He had had no part in it for a long time, until now- until Sarah.

It was too much, the noise and the hustling, the goblins were nothing to him anymore, he needed her with him. This realisation was startling but also exciting. He jumped up suddenly full of energy. She would be his queen, they could rule the underground, with the child as a goblin she had no reason to return to the world above.

Suddenly filled with fervour, blood pulsing through him and an itch to whist the girl up to his castle, he swept across the room to an unsuspecting goblin and grabbed him by the neck, "You remind me of the babe"

"what babe?" the goblin squealed, cackling Jareth threw him away,

"babe with the power!"

"What power?" asked a goblin in the corner,

"power of voodoo"

"Who do?"

"You do"

"Do what?"

"Remind me of the babe.." The goblins belted out a round of raucous laughter that shook the room. "Quiet" Jareth shouted, although laughter was playing around his haughty lips, "A goblin babe" a stony silence held as he laughed alone… "Well?" They took the hint and again laughter filled the air and the playful mood in the throne room reached its peak. Enjoying the moment, and thrilled that he had finally formulated a plan, Jareth began to sing, a lively melody that made the goblins cause chaos- It was rare that Jareth was in a good enough mood to sing but when he did- it was momentous.

" _I saw my baby, crying hard as babe could cry. What could I do? My baby's love had gone, and left my baby blue. Nobody knew what kind of magic spell to use."_

The goblins, rejoicing in the fact that their King was finally out of his strange morbid mood joined in, " _Slime and snails. Or a puppy dog's tail. Thunder or lighting._

" _And baby said."_ Jareth pointed to the baby and to his intense surprise and delight it made a soft Gagaing noise. Thrilled he reached out and lifted the baby into the air, " _Dance magic dance. Dance magic dance. Dance magic dance. Put that baby spell on me. Jump magic jump. Jump magic jump. Jump magic jump. Put that magic jump on me."_

" _Slap that baby. Make him free!"_ sang the goblins. Jareth sat with the small baby on his lap, laughing at the goblins who in their momentary exuberance had begun dancing and drinking in a party that seemed likely to last all night. He looked carefully at the little boy, seeing some of Sarah in him and wondering how long it would take before they were both a permanent part of his world. "In 9 hours and 23 minutes" he murmured to the little boy, "you'll be mine." The goblins laughed at this- what they considered a certainty, they had no idea of the implications behind his innocuous comment. All they saw was another goblin to join the ranks. Jareth was filled with nothing but happiness, such as he hadn't felt in a long time, not since he had first caught sight of Sarah in the world above, she was here, she was in his Labyrinth and soon she would be his. " _I saw my baby, trying hard as babe could try. What could I do? My baby's fun had gone, and left my baby blue. Nobody knew what kind of magic spell to use."_ He put the baby back down and danced around the room while the goblins chorused together their harsh voices disturbing the entire city;

" _Slime and snails._ _Puppy dog's tails. Thunder or lightening."_

" _Then baby said…_ " Jareth interrupted,

" _Dance magic dance. Dance magic dance. Dance magic. Put that baby spell on me. Jump magic jump. Jump magic jump. Jump magic jump. Put that magic jump on me."_

" _Slap that baby. "_

" _Make him free."_

" _Dance magic dance. Dance magic dance. Jump magic jump. Jump magic jump. Put that baby spell on me."_


	7. Chapter 7 Fairness

Chapter 7. Fairness

Jareth had left the goblins to their revels and was beginning to once again fall into the morose moods that had been so liable to sink into before Sarah had come to the Labyrinth. He yearned to see her again, but his mind had drifted back to the attack on the borders. What did it mean? They had somehow discovered the girl, and they knew, seemed to know before Jareth did himself that she was a weakness for him. His blind spot, the only softness to be found in his otherwise diamond world. The forces had been repelled for now but more would come, they would always come. His resolve stiffened, Sarah would be the queen of his lands, she would rule by his side and they bring down their wrath upon anyone who dared question it. If she accepted him, let him rule her, she would be safe. She could never return to the world above, she would change and become like him, not a human, but not a goblin, not an elf either something like a fae from the stories of old, where the fairy courts were cruel and deceptive but beautiful and fascinating all at the same time.

She would be beautiful, not beautiful in the way she was now but a better being than all others, she would be perfect. Jareth had frozen over at the thought of her, permanently on his arm, by his side, forever when the castle bells began to chime the hour and he was jerked back to reality. Jareth swept back into the throne room, his black shimmering cloak flying out behind like a starlight sky. He summoned a crystal with a casual wave, he wanted to see her again, just to know where she was, who she was with, what she was thinking. Drawing on his power, he muttered a short spell under his breath, then watched impatiently as the orbs fog began to dissolve giving way to a picture, a pair of wide eyes, a pale face. He watched silently as she solved the riddle of the doors, then fell to pride and slipped down the well of hands and into the dark of the oubliette. "She's in the oubliette" Jareth sighed, concern etched across his pale handsome his face, the goblins laughed raucously, "shut up" he snapped, "She never should have made it this far, she should have given up by now" He could have swept in at her darkest moment, he imagined it briefly, Sarah cold and alone. Trapped in a corner of the Labyrinth she couldn't escape then the look on her face as he appeared, her saviour, he would gently wipe away the tears from her face and carry her back to his castle…

"She'll never give up" muttered a goblin, "won't she?" Jareth asked "Once that dwarf takes her back to the beginning she'll soon give up when she realises she has to start all over again" he laughed at his own brilliant plan and was met with a stony silence, "well, laugh?!" once prompted the surrounding goblins burst into laughter. He smiled along with them, but the amusement was tinged also with a hint of jealousy, it burned in his gut but it was absurd just imagine the Goblin King being jealous of a snivelling little dwarf like that? He pushed the thought away but nonetheless continued to watch closely as she sat huddled in a corner of the oubliette. When the dwarf appeared the relief on her face was almost terrible. His heart lurched as it had never done before, all these new emotions and he had no idea how to handle them. Jareth watched her talking to the dwarf, watched the charm of her smile and the play of her lips as she spoke to him.

The dwarf fell under her spell as had the goblin king, unfortunately for him Jareth had never learnt of love and didn't know that love could be shared and grown and had by many people from one person. In his mind Sarah was his and he couldn't stand to see another gaze at her with a sickeningly rapt expression.

Raucous laughter resounded around the room and the Goblin King joined in though it did not quite reach his eyes. He had thought that the Hog dwarf had been a particularly excellent idea of his. Send in the most heinous, mean looking Goblin he had. Let her see how foul this place could really be, and while she just wanted someone to help the ugly little thing would lead her all the way back to the beginning. She couldn't fail to want to give in when she realised how little progress she had made. It would make her weaker and more pliable to his charms.

He watched her sitting in the oubliette and hardened his heart again against the feelings that arose there. To keep his mind off her he sent out scouts to the borders of his realm to check for intruders. He'd already made a slip up with the forest and he still wasn't sure how they had gotten in. The leaders of his armies had reported back that all was well, they had killed off most of the scourge and stuck their heads on pikes for the rest of the world to see as a warning of what would happen to them if they intruded on the Goblin King's land.

Jareth continued to watch as she bumbled about with the dwarf, smiling at the relief on her face, so little she knew, so innocent she was. Yet in the short space of time she had spent with one of his subjects Jareth felt a ripple in the consciousness of the Labyrinth, a stirring, because someone wanted to disobey him. The Labyrinth was a living thing and as such was connected to it's King in the most loyal manner. It was coming from the dwarf, the irritating blobby thing was daring to defy him, The Goblin King and break the rules of the Labyrinth. Fury lashed out of him like a whip, Goblins squealed and dove headlong for cover as he swept away from his crystal gazing and strode out of the throne room, sending creatures, goblins and objects flying in his anger. Magic sizzled from his hands and he leapt out the window, transforming himself into an owl and flying down into the tunnels below the Labyrinth.

He landed through one of the few skylights of the tunnels and heard footsteps approaching around the corner. Jareth speedily changed form once again, this time into an old decrepit goblin, huddled into a corner, with a little tin pot as if he were collecting change. He released a crystal in their direction and waited impatiently, the footsteps grew louder, closer, until she shuffled into view, a look of surprise etched across her face as she took him in, the crystal that had led them to him jumped up into his tin cup, "uh oh" uttered the dwarf, he obviously knew what he was in for.

"Ah, what have we here?" Jareth's voice had taken on a disguise as much as he had, and it came out thin as a reed, rasping. "N...nothing" stuttered the dwarf,

"Nothing? Nothing?" Jareth threw his disguise to the floor and stepped out in all his splendour and glory, "Nothing, tra la laa?" His voice resounded around the cramped room and the two of them cowered before him. Sarah's face was a picture of utter shock but she was curious about him, about what he was like Jareth could tell that much at least. "Your Majesty" the dwarf drawled his voice dripping with flattery "what a nice surprise" Jareth smiled deliberately ignoring Sarah though he could feel her gaze upon him "hello Hedgewart"

"Hogwart" she interrupted,

"Hoggle" muttered the frustrated dwarf. Jareth, distracted momentarily by Sarah's outburst knelt down beside him his voice ice "Hoggle, are you helping this girl?"

"H...helping, in what sense?"

"In the sense that you were leading her towards the castle" his voice was dangerously low now, a shudder of pleasure slipped through him as he felt the dwarf quivering in fear. He back tracked quickly, "I was taking her back to the beginning"

"What?" Sarah's voice filled with genuine hurt, Hoggle was glancing between the two of them not knowing where to look, "I, I told her I would help her, a little trickery on my part, but actually..."

"What is that plastic thing around your wrist?" Jareth had noticed it flashing in the dim light of the cave, it was a human creation, it was Sarah's. "Oh, oh this? Oh my goodness, where did this come from?" He was stuttering now, it was a pitiful sight.

Jareth stood above the dwarf gazing down at the sad creature with no pity in his eyes. Let Sarah see what he really was and that he was not to be trifled with. "If I thought for one second that you were betraying me I would be forced to suspend you head first in the bog of eternal stench." At that the dwarf lost all control and fell sobbing to his knees, pleading with the King, "No you Majesty, not the eternal stench" Jareth kicked him away, "oh yes Hoggle." The he turned away and looked at Sarah, again she made him catch his breath but he wouldn't show it. He hadn't intended to talk to her, shouldn't be going near her but he couldn't help it. He was drawn as a moth to a flame. "And you Sarah, how are you enjoying my Labyrinth?" He was close to her now, close enough to see the tiny specks of green in her dark brown eyes, but she remained frustratingly defiant. "It's a piece of cake"

"Oh really? How about upping the stakes?" He pointed to the Labyrinth clock now suspended in the air by the cavern wall, and cut her time down by three hours, the hands of the clock spinning to his will as the sands of time bent as well. He turned back to her, "that's not fair?!" She looked like a petulant child, Jareth chided her "You say that so often, I wonder what your basis for comparison is?" The anger had returned, she wound him up so easily, pushed his buttons and got under his skin. "You say the Labyrinth's a piece of cake? Well lets see how you deal with this little slice" A crystal appeared in his hand, and eyes gleaming he threw it down the tunnel where it expanded and twisted turning into The Cleaner. He laughed, high and cold before disappearing and leaving them to their fate.


End file.
